OK, I am a right of center leaning person but I for one am extremely heartened by the fact that an African American only one generation removed from a hut in a kenyan village is now vying for the most powerful position in the US.
That he could not only be a candidate, but a viable candidate with a real chance of securing the top job, speaks of an optimism that is sadly lacking in the world today.
I don’t know enough about the specifics of the man, but his charisma is self evident.
slightlyrighty, no need for the ‘but’ Obama is right of center too (see the political compass) maybe you’re comment should read “I am a right of center leaning person so I for one am extremely heartened” 😉 that said, he is (ever so slightly) to the left of Clinton.
“I don’t know enough about the specifics of the man, but his charisma is self evident.”
that people seem to think that’s enough to qualifiy one for the most powerful job in a coutnry is worrying. Key is trying the same thing on here.
Fortunately, Key is like a hollow bubble in people’s minds. a single prick (“did you know he wanted us to sedn troops to fight in Iraq?” “Did you know he said ‘we would love to see wages drop’?” “did you know he is going to cut spending and increase borrowing to fund tax cuts for the rich?”) and the bubble bursts.
An interesting site you link to. You could have chosen to link to this site — http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/ — which cites a study pointing out that Obama was the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate in 2007.
Steve (and mark down this time),
I agree with you (ouch, that hurt). Obama and Key have got to where they are right now based on very little substance. There are five months or so to the respective elections, though, and both will take major hits in that time.
The good thing for Key is that his party’s WAAAAAAAAAY in front. Obama, though, is virtually neck-and-neck in most polls in a head-to-head with McCain, so the drop-off he experiences will likely see him lose the election.
Maybe that says something about the other members of the senate 😉
Just because his voting record is on the left of others doesn’t make his politics ‘left.’ Left in the US really means “less-right” like the political compass site says “Hillary Clinton is popularly perceived as a leftist in the United States while in any other western democracy her record is that of a mainstream conservative” a similar comment could be made about Obama.
That said, mainstream politics has moved to the right here as well, just not to the same extent, the political compass did an analysis of NZ political parties last election, The Labour party is, in terms of its actual politics, on the right, it’s only left when compared to National.
I wonder how accurate that is, or perhaps its simply my (mis)perception being close to NZ politics. But looking at this it appears that Labour is roughly equally close to National, the Greens, and the Progressives. I don’t really think the chances of a coalition involving each of those is equally likely (and remember this is for 05 where National was much further right than at present). It does provide an interesting view on the Labour/National/Green and Labour/National/Maori axes.
Key is a lot like George W Bush. Key comes to politics as a hobby. Key has no principles. Key is manufactured. Key is a PR exercise with no substance. Key tells you want you want to hear to get your vote. In short, Key is slippery as a snake in wet grass.
That is how the US got W twice. Is that what NZ wants?
I know Obama talks change, but no matter who wins in the US there is change. That is how the system works. W can’t run again – thank god! So, it is not the same situation as here in NZ.
Still too close to call just yet though. Obama has charisma and the “change” meme on his side, so McCain has to be seen as the under-dog in those regards.
Steve Pierson – with due respect, seeing as this is your blog, and I am a mere guest, WTF does John Key have to do with Barack Obama, and why do you guys feel the need to use any thread to denigrate him?
IV2 – John Key is looking to become PM of NZ without a policy platform. Most thinking people are unsettled by this – though some of them just dislike the Labour Party that they see in the media so much that want any kind of “change”.
Others are purely ideologically right-wing so invite Key’s secret agenda- i.e. the fact that he hasn’t announced policy gets them even more exited because they suspect it’s so right-wing that it’s dangerous to announce to the public.
This is why thinking people on the left are scared of John Key
The difference between Key and Obama is that just to reach this point (in each case, roughly 5 months out from an election) Obama has been through dozens of lengthy televised debates, countless interviews, all kinds of scrutiny, day in, day out, exhausting and exhaustive, at the hands of some of the toughest media in the world, comprising literally thousands of journalists and other interrogators.
There’s clearly a lot more there than just charisma, or he would have fallen by the wayside long ago.
On the other hand, to reach this point Key has had to smile a lot, and say “cheese”.
Anyway, the point of my post was that this is a thread about Barack Obama. This is a historic day – an American party selecting an African-American to run for the White House. To turn it into yet ANOTHER Standard thread attacking John Key trivialises Obama’s achievement.
Well, that’s the first part of that bet lost. Way back before the primaries started I picked Clinton to lose to McCain in the eventual election. Looks like I might lose the second part, too, thought I won’t be too sad either way.
Bringing it back to Key-Obama, I think a lot of the discourse is interesting. Neither have much real policy, both are positioning themselves as The Future – different futures, but there’s not all that much information about HOW different except what party’s lapel pin they wear (and in what country, natch). Yet people seem to be responding differently to them despite this lack of information, and making no allusions to what they do or don’t actually value.
As far as Obama goes, and why I hold a higher opinion of him than I do of Key: the fact that he’s black matters a lot to me, and gives his `change’ message an amount of credibility that a middle-aged white man with a finance background can’t muster. Also – the man can speak. I lamented when Tony Blair left Number 10 that English-language politics had lost one of its few genuinely great orators. Don’t care much for Blair’s policies, but he could speak, and that matters. Obama is in the same league. Bill Clinton was arguably so. (Churchill still chairs that great debate in the sky).
I’d like to believe that Obama as El Presidente would change anything in the US and, by ripple effect, the world. But it will most definitely be business as usual.
The US is now a corporatist state. EVERYTHING that can be has been or is being outsourced/ privatised..’homeland security’, logistical backup to their armed forces, welfare programmes, prisons, education system…the list goes on.
Obama could only run with massive underwritings from the corporate sector…same as all the others. He is ‘their’ man. They all are. Forget the fact he is Afro/American. He will do as much positive stuff for them as a section of the population as Margaret Thatcher did for British women in the 80s…sweet F.A.
The difference between Key and Obama is that just to reach this point (in each case, roughly 5 months out from an election) Obama has been through dozens of lengthy televised debates, countless interviews, all kinds of scrutiny, day in, day out, exhausting and exhaustive, at the hands of some of the toughest media in the world, comprising literally thousands of journalists and other interrogators.
The media is undoubtedly in love with Obama, so I think you’re overstating just how much scrutiny he’s come under. Obama did get a tough time in one of the ABC debates, but that’s about it.
He has been to 57 states, though, (or is it 60?) so he’s obviously campaigning hard 😉
“Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it.”
As much as I’d like to say it, Obama will be President, it doesn’t smack of much conviction.
Regardless of the fact the senate is largely democratic, it’s no indication of having a democratic president. Clinton got in when the senate was fully republican.
Aside from that, MHO is that Americans are too emotionally retarded to entertain the notion of a black president. They can’t even conceive of bi-racial relationships “You go out with a black man? But you’re white!”, something that’s the norm here.
All power to Obama though, I just don’t think he’s going to be the victor.
I find it largely amusing that Ron Paul is still running to be a Presidential candidate. Perhaps he’s bored?
Aside from that, MHO is that Americans are too emotionally retarded to entertain the notion of a black president.
Not sure if it’s emotional retardation that’s holding them back, but it’s pretty clear to me they won’t vote a black man president. Just look at the Democratic primaries; if there’s race-based voting there, and there certainly has been, then the Dems have thrown all their eggs in the wrong basket. It’s no secret Republicans will be even less likely to vote a black man in.
Given the low ratings of the Bush administration and dissatisfaction with the Iraq war, John Edwards (or Dodd or Biden or Richardson) may well have waltzed into the White House. But the Dems wanted an out-of-the-box candidate (black man or white woman), but that may now backfire on them because they’re not starting with every voter in play.
“Don’t care much for Blair’s policies, but he could speak, and that matters. Obama is in the same league. Bill Clinton was arguably so. (Churchill still chairs that great debate in the sky).”
Interesting article by Jon Johannsen in the Listener saying he finds Obama’s speeches are generally far too long.
Will be interesting to see who he choses as VP. Probably John Edwards? Hard to imagine Hillary being VP.
“Aside from that, MHO is that Americans are too emotionally retarded to entertain the notion of a black president. They can’t even conceive of bi-racial relationships “You go out with a black man? But you’re white!’, something that’s the norm here.”
Apparently white men dating black women is something of a taboo within the African American community? The prejudice doesn’t just come from one side.
In terms of race as a factor in the election, it will be interesting to see whether Obama can win over Hispanic voters, who generally supported Hillary. http://www.newsweek.com/id/104725
I think you underestimate the “mood for change” in the US.
Many people want a shift back to humane liberalism, and are cynical about getting that from an aged, white Republican.
At this stage Obama’s definitely odds on, though it really depends on whether the corporate media (which ultimately is controlled by only a dozen or so very wealthy individuals) decides to turn on him or not.
Maybe you’re right about the mood for change. But, as much as the Dems like talking about a “third Bush term”, McCain is vastly different from Dubya. There will be a fair amount of change if McCain gets in, though not necessarily in the areas the American public want.
Part of the US mood for change is the desire for less partisanship in Washington. The fact is that McCain has been as bipartisan as anyone in recent memory, which is a marked contrast from Obama who talks about reaching across the aisle but whose record shows little, if any, action in that regard.
McCain also has unRepublican views on things like climate change and immigration and interrogation etc etc, so he’s going to grab a lot of independents and those racist Democrats who won’t vote for a black man.
McCain is also much more down-to-earth than Obama. Americans have something of a recent history of voting for guys they’d like to have a beer with; I think McCain wins that (small) demographic.
Regarding the media, I can’t see the big media folks turning on Obama. How great is the first-black-president story? Too good to try to disrupt.
Ben: I’ve a lot of time for Jon’s work on leadership, (his paper on Orewa is particularly valuable to my research) so I’ll track this article down. Long or not, Obama is an orator.
Incidentally, there’s a lot of waffle, mostly among people who don’t really know what they’re talking about, on the `presidentialisation’ of NZ politics. Most people take this to mean that the personality of a leader is seen to trump party policy, but in actuality a presidential system is wildly different. I think with two campaigns running mostly in parallel in the US and NZ we’ll have an interesting case study to look at this idea.
“Many people want a shift back to humane liberalism, and are cynical about getting that from an aged, white Republican.”
Right, so Condoleezza Rice would have been ok then? What has McCain’s skin colour got to do with anything? Would you doubt John Edwards’ commitment to humane liberalism on that basis too?
Ben R – it’s more a combination of factors than any one of them. Oh and yes, I think Condoleezza Rice(without her “bush connection”) could sell a platform based on humane liberalism better than McCain could.
Like it or not demographic status has an impact – even if only for the way that the media uses culturally recognisable “frames” to elicit associations between a candidate and certain characteristics supposedly associated with their demographic.
i.e. “welfare’ portfolios are often handled by women for this reason because they’re seen to have “caring” and “nurturing” qualities etc . Because of the qualities ascribed to them the’re seen to be more “credible” in those roles.
roger nome said “IV2
“To turn it into yet ANOTHER Standard thread attacking John Key trivialises Obama’s achievement.’
If you believe that so strongly, why are you attempting to make this thread about John Key?”
Aw gee – actually rog, I didn’t. Steve P did, about five posts in
“Steve Pierson
June 4, 2008 at 1:45 pm
“I don’t know enough about the specifics of the man, but his charisma is self evident.’
that people seem to think that’s enough to qualifiy one for the most powerful job in a coutnry is worrying. Key is trying the same thing on here.
Fortunately, Key is like a hollow bubble in people’s minds. a single prick (‘did you know he wanted us to sedn troops to fight in Iraq?’ “Did you know he said ‘we would love to see wages drop’?’ “did you know he is going to cut spending and increase borrowing to fund tax cuts for the rich?’) and the bubble bursts.”
So roger nome – just in case you’re too obtuse to notice; the thread is entitled “Obama clinches nomination” – Steve doesn’t mention Obama at all, but twice refers to Key in unflattering terms. I would have thought that after his earlier “gossip” thread about Key “buying” his seat, he had an adequate forum to attack Key. But to me, it simply adds to the perception that The Standard exists soley to denigrate Key. However, as I said in the first contribution to this thread, it’s his blog, and I am a mere guest!
Thanks for the link Gobsmacked. Glancing at his policies I see he is more right wing than I thought (It would be nice if we could get this much information from John Key). Looks like all America is getting is a change of face. Not that I ever expected there to be real change in America.
Scribe, McCain has a reputation for being a mavericky bipartisan that his record doesn’t live up to. On his signature claims in this regard he has backtracked in order to get the nomination.
He voted to allow the CIA to use torture, the bill passed anyway but Bush vetoed it. On gay rights and other social issues he has gone from calling the hard right ‘agents of intolerance’ to courting their votes and endorsments. On “Executive authority” he has gone from saying that the President must obey all laws passed by congress regardless of circumstances, to of course the President can ask telecom. companies to spy on US citizens without warrants and of course they should comply. He has gone from saying that Bush’s tax cuts were reckless, to saying he will not only extend them, but massively increase them. He is BushIII in any way that matters.
Obama has shown that he can work accross the aisle in many places. The senate in the last few years has not been conducive to this because the GOP has been the party of NO. They have fillibusted and held up more legislation in the last two years than any other congressional minority has managed to do in four. So it’s pretty rich to blame Obama for this.
Back in his state career many Republicans speak well of him. He managed to pass a law requiring video taping of confessions and interrogations for suspects in death penalty cases. This law was needed because some convicted guys were getting off on appeal due to police brutality and suspect confessions.
Initially he was opposed by the police (who didn’t like being tarred with the nasty stuff), the republicans (who find it hard to look soft with regard to the death penalty), and the democrats (who are scared of the republicans calling them soft on crime). Obama worked the aisle, got the support of the police and the bill passed unanimously. He won everyone over. If you havn’t heard of this it’s because the press loves Obama and really wants to tell his story. But only if it involves him bowling. On account of Obama being such an elitist and all.
You claim that Obama gets a free ride from the press, noting the state number gaffe. Really? How about the fact that McCain, when speaking on Iraq which is supposed to be his area of super duper knowledge, he can’t get the basics right. Like how many troops were there before the surge. Or who is allied to Iran. Or who the shiites are. Or the strength of AQ in Iraq. Or whether or not Petraeus can drive around without security. How often do these “gaffes” get mentioned in comparison to Obama’s preacher? Which issue more important to Americans according to the polls?
I think McCain has had the free ride, and that once the nomination gets settled he won’t be able to hide. Obama seems eager to go after him in a way no Democrat candidate has done for a while. McCains speech today was purely defensive, trying to say “I’m not Bush, honest”.
Good luck with that John, Bush is going to be speaking at your convention and he still has 28 percent support. It’s pathetic but McCain absolutley needs those 28 percenters.
Brett: I’m afraid I think that Fox news is probably the classic bottom feeder news service. Their ‘news service’ looks far more like an entertainment channel than anything real.
But I thought people might be amused by this link I ran across while hunting other material.
Hey Lynn, wonderful. The left hand side is an almost perfect profile of my own viewing of those US channels that are available here. No wonder I believe the 2004 election was stolen.
[Captcha: reality sloppy… now I’m starting to believe in the captcha monkey]
Aside from that, MHO is that Americans are too emotionally retarded to entertain the notion of a black president.
How ridiculous to direct that comment toward Americans in general! As a New Englander, I’ve not met a single person who would vote for McCain! The Northern U.S. is all for Obama! I realize that my country gets a bad rap due to our current politics, but most of us up here believe the past two elections to be entirely corrupt.
In general saying “Americans are like this” is like saying “Europeans are like that”. It’s silly more than anything.
It’s tempting for those of us on the fringes of the empire to generalise the attitudes of America’s government to her citizens, or to imagine that the stereotype of one region applies across the whole nation.
It seems to me, looking from afar, that the stereotype often used is the same one that some US politicians use to describe the ‘real American’. That’s unhelpful.
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Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
Hundreds of engineers are losing their jobs and leaving our shores due to infrastructure project delays, creating "significant" risk to our nation's development, says the head of New Zealand's engineering body. ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says the deal with China “complements, not replaces” the relationship with New Zealand after signing it yesterday. Brown said “The Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) 2025-2030” provides a structured framework for engagement between the Cook Islands ...
The government should not set military style academies into youth justice law, the children's commissioner says, despite its first bootcamp getting a glowing report. ...
The infamous over-the-suit T-shirt worn by the PM at a Parliament barbecue has gone on sale to raise funds for children living in poverty, in a TradeMe auction. ...
MONDAYSheriff Seymour rode slowly down the main street of Dodge on his faithful white horse Atlas Network.He liked what he saw.Children were being fed free lunches prepared by kind people who collected the scraps from an offal rendering plant.“Very strongly flavoured liver, such as ox liver, can be soaked overnight ...
Once upon a time it was all about being an astronaut, a firefighter or doctor; but these days kids have their sights set on becoming vloggers or YouTubers.That’s according to a 2019 study by Lego that surveyed 3000 children between the ages of eight to 12 from the US, the ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. From the moment I started high school and realised almost every other girl in my year was at least partially interested in what the boys were up to, I realised that I would be single for life. The feeling wasn’t one of ...
The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Selina Alesana Alefosio.All photos by Geoffery Matautia.On a bright Sunday morning from her grandparent’s home in Pito-one, I spoke with ...
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OK, I am a right of center leaning person but I for one am extremely heartened by the fact that an African American only one generation removed from a hut in a kenyan village is now vying for the most powerful position in the US.
That he could not only be a candidate, but a viable candidate with a real chance of securing the top job, speaks of an optimism that is sadly lacking in the world today.
I don’t know enough about the specifics of the man, but his charisma is self evident.
slightlyrighty, no need for the ‘but’ Obama is right of center too (see the political compass) maybe you’re comment should read “I am a right of center leaning person so I for one am extremely heartened” 😉 that said, he is (ever so slightly) to the left of Clinton.
Hoorah not a Bush or a Clinton in the Whitehouse
HS
I second that…..
“I don’t know enough about the specifics of the man, but his charisma is self evident.”
that people seem to think that’s enough to qualifiy one for the most powerful job in a coutnry is worrying. Key is trying the same thing on here.
Fortunately, Key is like a hollow bubble in people’s minds. a single prick (“did you know he wanted us to sedn troops to fight in Iraq?” “Did you know he said ‘we would love to see wages drop’?” “did you know he is going to cut spending and increase borrowing to fund tax cuts for the rich?”) and the bubble bursts.
Steve, sadly in politics, and particularly in US politics, charisma is a job requirement.
John Kerry was the most charismatically challenged candiadte the democrats could have feilded, and that gave us 4 more years of Dubya.
Byron,
An interesting site you link to. You could have chosen to link to this site — http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/ — which cites a study pointing out that Obama was the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate in 2007.
Steve (and mark down this time),
I agree with you (ouch, that hurt). Obama and Key have got to where they are right now based on very little substance. There are five months or so to the respective elections, though, and both will take major hits in that time.
The good thing for Key is that his party’s WAAAAAAAAAY in front. Obama, though, is virtually neck-and-neck in most polls in a head-to-head with McCain, so the drop-off he experiences will likely see him lose the election.
Scribe,
Maybe that says something about the other members of the senate 😉
Just because his voting record is on the left of others doesn’t make his politics ‘left.’ Left in the US really means “less-right” like the political compass site says “Hillary Clinton is popularly perceived as a leftist in the United States while in any other western democracy her record is that of a mainstream conservative” a similar comment could be made about Obama.
That said, mainstream politics has moved to the right here as well, just not to the same extent, the political compass did an analysis of NZ political parties last election, The Labour party is, in terms of its actual politics, on the right, it’s only left when compared to National.
I wonder how accurate that is, or perhaps its simply my (mis)perception being close to NZ politics. But looking at this it appears that Labour is roughly equally close to National, the Greens, and the Progressives. I don’t really think the chances of a coalition involving each of those is equally likely (and remember this is for 05 where National was much further right than at present). It does provide an interesting view on the Labour/National/Green and Labour/National/Maori axes.
I hate it when people compare Obama to Key.
Key is a lot like George W Bush. Key comes to politics as a hobby. Key has no principles. Key is manufactured. Key is a PR exercise with no substance. Key tells you want you want to hear to get your vote. In short, Key is slippery as a snake in wet grass.
That is how the US got W twice. Is that what NZ wants?
I know Obama talks change, but no matter who wins in the US there is change. That is how the system works. W can’t run again – thank god! So, it is not the same situation as here in NZ.
BeShakey,
It does provide an interesting view on the Labour/National/Green and Labour/National/Maori axes.
Is that more than one axis or more than one axe? 😉
Scribe:
Most polls have Obama with a substantial lead. Fox News gives a 3% advantage to McCain though 🙂
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html#polls
Still too close to call just yet though. Obama has charisma and the “change” meme on his side, so McCain has to be seen as the under-dog in those regards.
Steve Pierson – with due respect, seeing as this is your blog, and I am a mere guest, WTF does John Key have to do with Barack Obama, and why do you guys feel the need to use any thread to denigrate him?
Inventory2
Because Key ‘borrowed’ the “time for change” mantra
IV2 – John Key is looking to become PM of NZ without a policy platform. Most thinking people are unsettled by this – though some of them just dislike the Labour Party that they see in the media so much that want any kind of “change”.
Others are purely ideologically right-wing so invite Key’s secret agenda- i.e. the fact that he hasn’t announced policy gets them even more exited because they suspect it’s so right-wing that it’s dangerous to announce to the public.
This is why thinking people on the left are scared of John Key
The difference between Key and Obama is that just to reach this point (in each case, roughly 5 months out from an election) Obama has been through dozens of lengthy televised debates, countless interviews, all kinds of scrutiny, day in, day out, exhausting and exhaustive, at the hands of some of the toughest media in the world, comprising literally thousands of journalists and other interrogators.
There’s clearly a lot more there than just charisma, or he would have fallen by the wayside long ago.
On the other hand, to reach this point Key has had to smile a lot, and say “cheese”.
John Key: Cheese we can believe in.
Nedyah Hsan
“Time for a change” has been around for a while. Norm Kirk used it to unseat Holyoake’s government in 1972!
Anyway, the point of my post was that this is a thread about Barack Obama. This is a historic day – an American party selecting an African-American to run for the White House. To turn it into yet ANOTHER Standard thread attacking John Key trivialises Obama’s achievement.
Well, that’s the first part of that bet lost. Way back before the primaries started I picked Clinton to lose to McCain in the eventual election. Looks like I might lose the second part, too, thought I won’t be too sad either way.
Bringing it back to Key-Obama, I think a lot of the discourse is interesting. Neither have much real policy, both are positioning themselves as The Future – different futures, but there’s not all that much information about HOW different except what party’s lapel pin they wear (and in what country, natch). Yet people seem to be responding differently to them despite this lack of information, and making no allusions to what they do or don’t actually value.
As far as Obama goes, and why I hold a higher opinion of him than I do of Key: the fact that he’s black matters a lot to me, and gives his `change’ message an amount of credibility that a middle-aged white man with a finance background can’t muster. Also – the man can speak. I lamented when Tony Blair left Number 10 that English-language politics had lost one of its few genuinely great orators. Don’t care much for Blair’s policies, but he could speak, and that matters. Obama is in the same league. Bill Clinton was arguably so. (Churchill still chairs that great debate in the sky).
L
Captcha: `during drinks’. If only.
Lew, I agree with much of your post, but this:
“Neither have much real policy”
is only true of Key. It is not true at all for Obama. Check for yourself:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/
There are dozens of sub-headings and details. You could spend the rest of the week reading up on specific policies.
Then compare with Key’s own website.
I’d like to believe that Obama as El Presidente would change anything in the US and, by ripple effect, the world. But it will most definitely be business as usual.
The US is now a corporatist state. EVERYTHING that can be has been or is being outsourced/ privatised..’homeland security’, logistical backup to their armed forces, welfare programmes, prisons, education system…the list goes on.
Obama could only run with massive underwritings from the corporate sector…same as all the others. He is ‘their’ man. They all are. Forget the fact he is Afro/American. He will do as much positive stuff for them as a section of the population as Margaret Thatcher did for British women in the 80s…sweet F.A.
gobsmacked,
The difference between Key and Obama is that just to reach this point (in each case, roughly 5 months out from an election) Obama has been through dozens of lengthy televised debates, countless interviews, all kinds of scrutiny, day in, day out, exhausting and exhaustive, at the hands of some of the toughest media in the world, comprising literally thousands of journalists and other interrogators.
The media is undoubtedly in love with Obama, so I think you’re overstating just how much scrutiny he’s come under. Obama did get a tough time in one of the ABC debates, but that’s about it.
He has been to 57 states, though, (or is it 60?) so he’s obviously campaigning hard 😉
“Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it.”
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/05/barack-obama-wa.html
Imagine if Bush said this, how big the coverage would have been. Or McCain; he’d have been portrayed as too old to be president.
As much as I’d like to say it, Obama will be President, it doesn’t smack of much conviction.
Regardless of the fact the senate is largely democratic, it’s no indication of having a democratic president. Clinton got in when the senate was fully republican.
Aside from that, MHO is that Americans are too emotionally retarded to entertain the notion of a black president. They can’t even conceive of bi-racial relationships “You go out with a black man? But you’re white!”, something that’s the norm here.
All power to Obama though, I just don’t think he’s going to be the victor.
I find it largely amusing that Ron Paul is still running to be a Presidential candidate. Perhaps he’s bored?
IV2
” To turn it into yet ANOTHER Standard thread attacking John Key trivialises Obama’s achievement.”
If you believe that so strongly, why are you attempting to make this thread about John Key?
Nedyah,
Aside from that, MHO is that Americans are too emotionally retarded to entertain the notion of a black president.
Not sure if it’s emotional retardation that’s holding them back, but it’s pretty clear to me they won’t vote a black man president. Just look at the Democratic primaries; if there’s race-based voting there, and there certainly has been, then the Dems have thrown all their eggs in the wrong basket. It’s no secret Republicans will be even less likely to vote a black man in.
Given the low ratings of the Bush administration and dissatisfaction with the Iraq war, John Edwards (or Dodd or Biden or Richardson) may well have waltzed into the White House. But the Dems wanted an out-of-the-box candidate (black man or white woman), but that may now backfire on them because they’re not starting with every voter in play.
gobsmacked: Thanks, you’re right.
L
“Don’t care much for Blair’s policies, but he could speak, and that matters. Obama is in the same league. Bill Clinton was arguably so. (Churchill still chairs that great debate in the sky).”
Interesting article by Jon Johannsen in the Listener saying he finds Obama’s speeches are generally far too long.
Will be interesting to see who he choses as VP. Probably John Edwards? Hard to imagine Hillary being VP.
“Aside from that, MHO is that Americans are too emotionally retarded to entertain the notion of a black president. They can’t even conceive of bi-racial relationships “You go out with a black man? But you’re white!’, something that’s the norm here.”
Apparently white men dating black women is something of a taboo within the African American community? The prejudice doesn’t just come from one side.
In terms of race as a factor in the election, it will be interesting to see whether Obama can win over Hispanic voters, who generally supported Hillary. http://www.newsweek.com/id/104725
Scribe:
I think you underestimate the “mood for change” in the US.
Many people want a shift back to humane liberalism, and are cynical about getting that from an aged, white Republican.
At this stage Obama’s definitely odds on, though it really depends on whether the corporate media (which ultimately is controlled by only a dozen or so very wealthy individuals) decides to turn on him or not.
roger,
Maybe you’re right about the mood for change. But, as much as the Dems like talking about a “third Bush term”, McCain is vastly different from Dubya. There will be a fair amount of change if McCain gets in, though not necessarily in the areas the American public want.
Part of the US mood for change is the desire for less partisanship in Washington. The fact is that McCain has been as bipartisan as anyone in recent memory, which is a marked contrast from Obama who talks about reaching across the aisle but whose record shows little, if any, action in that regard.
McCain also has unRepublican views on things like climate change and immigration and interrogation etc etc, so he’s going to grab a lot of independents and those racist Democrats who won’t vote for a black man.
McCain is also much more down-to-earth than Obama. Americans have something of a recent history of voting for guys they’d like to have a beer with; I think McCain wins that (small) demographic.
Regarding the media, I can’t see the big media folks turning on Obama. How great is the first-black-president story? Too good to try to disrupt.
Ben: I’ve a lot of time for Jon’s work on leadership, (his paper on Orewa is particularly valuable to my research) so I’ll track this article down. Long or not, Obama is an orator.
Incidentally, there’s a lot of waffle, mostly among people who don’t really know what they’re talking about, on the `presidentialisation’ of NZ politics. Most people take this to mean that the personality of a leader is seen to trump party policy, but in actuality a presidential system is wildly different. I think with two campaigns running mostly in parallel in the US and NZ we’ll have an interesting case study to look at this idea.
L
“Many people want a shift back to humane liberalism, and are cynical about getting that from an aged, white Republican.”
Right, so Condoleezza Rice would have been ok then? What has McCain’s skin colour got to do with anything? Would you doubt John Edwards’ commitment to humane liberalism on that basis too?
Ben R – it’s more a combination of factors than any one of them. Oh and yes, I think Condoleezza Rice(without her “bush connection”) could sell a platform based on humane liberalism better than McCain could.
Like it or not demographic status has an impact – even if only for the way that the media uses culturally recognisable “frames” to elicit associations between a candidate and certain characteristics supposedly associated with their demographic.
i.e. “welfare’ portfolios are often handled by women for this reason because they’re seen to have “caring” and “nurturing” qualities etc . Because of the qualities ascribed to them the’re seen to be more “credible” in those roles.
roger nome said “IV2
“To turn it into yet ANOTHER Standard thread attacking John Key trivialises Obama’s achievement.’
If you believe that so strongly, why are you attempting to make this thread about John Key?”
Aw gee – actually rog, I didn’t. Steve P did, about five posts in
“Steve Pierson
June 4, 2008 at 1:45 pm
“I don’t know enough about the specifics of the man, but his charisma is self evident.’
that people seem to think that’s enough to qualifiy one for the most powerful job in a coutnry is worrying. Key is trying the same thing on here.
Fortunately, Key is like a hollow bubble in people’s minds. a single prick (‘did you know he wanted us to sedn troops to fight in Iraq?’ “Did you know he said ‘we would love to see wages drop’?’ “did you know he is going to cut spending and increase borrowing to fund tax cuts for the rich?’) and the bubble bursts.”
So roger nome – just in case you’re too obtuse to notice; the thread is entitled “Obama clinches nomination” – Steve doesn’t mention Obama at all, but twice refers to Key in unflattering terms. I would have thought that after his earlier “gossip” thread about Key “buying” his seat, he had an adequate forum to attack Key. But to me, it simply adds to the perception that The Standard exists soley to denigrate Key. However, as I said in the first contribution to this thread, it’s his blog, and I am a mere guest!
Thanks for the link Gobsmacked. Glancing at his policies I see he is more right wing than I thought (It would be nice if we could get this much information from John Key). Looks like all America is getting is a change of face. Not that I ever expected there to be real change in America.
So its Obama versus old man McCain.
I’m afraid Faux News is going to crucify Obama, every person from his church will be interviewed saying wacky things.
Scribe, McCain has a reputation for being a mavericky bipartisan that his record doesn’t live up to. On his signature claims in this regard he has backtracked in order to get the nomination.
He voted to allow the CIA to use torture, the bill passed anyway but Bush vetoed it. On gay rights and other social issues he has gone from calling the hard right ‘agents of intolerance’ to courting their votes and endorsments. On “Executive authority” he has gone from saying that the President must obey all laws passed by congress regardless of circumstances, to of course the President can ask telecom. companies to spy on US citizens without warrants and of course they should comply. He has gone from saying that Bush’s tax cuts were reckless, to saying he will not only extend them, but massively increase them. He is BushIII in any way that matters.
Obama has shown that he can work accross the aisle in many places. The senate in the last few years has not been conducive to this because the GOP has been the party of NO. They have fillibusted and held up more legislation in the last two years than any other congressional minority has managed to do in four. So it’s pretty rich to blame Obama for this.
Back in his state career many Republicans speak well of him. He managed to pass a law requiring video taping of confessions and interrogations for suspects in death penalty cases. This law was needed because some convicted guys were getting off on appeal due to police brutality and suspect confessions.
Initially he was opposed by the police (who didn’t like being tarred with the nasty stuff), the republicans (who find it hard to look soft with regard to the death penalty), and the democrats (who are scared of the republicans calling them soft on crime). Obama worked the aisle, got the support of the police and the bill passed unanimously. He won everyone over. If you havn’t heard of this it’s because the press loves Obama and really wants to tell his story. But only if it involves him bowling. On account of Obama being such an elitist and all.
You claim that Obama gets a free ride from the press, noting the state number gaffe. Really? How about the fact that McCain, when speaking on Iraq which is supposed to be his area of super duper knowledge, he can’t get the basics right. Like how many troops were there before the surge. Or who is allied to Iran. Or who the shiites are. Or the strength of AQ in Iraq. Or whether or not Petraeus can drive around without security. How often do these “gaffes” get mentioned in comparison to Obama’s preacher? Which issue more important to Americans according to the polls?
I think McCain has had the free ride, and that once the nomination gets settled he won’t be able to hide. Obama seems eager to go after him in a way no Democrat candidate has done for a while. McCains speech today was purely defensive, trying to say “I’m not Bush, honest”.
Good luck with that John, Bush is going to be speaking at your convention and he still has 28 percent support. It’s pathetic but McCain absolutley needs those 28 percenters.
Brett: I’m afraid I think that Fox news is probably the classic bottom feeder news service. Their ‘news service’ looks far more like an entertainment channel than anything real.
But I thought people might be amused by this link I ran across while hunting other material.
Poll: 2004 Election Was Stolen (‘Cept Fox Viewers)
Typical online poll.
Hey Lynn, wonderful. The left hand side is an almost perfect profile of my own viewing of those US channels that are available here. No wonder I believe the 2004 election was stolen.
[Captcha: reality sloppy… now I’m starting to believe in the captcha monkey]
Aside from that, MHO is that Americans are too emotionally retarded to entertain the notion of a black president.
How ridiculous to direct that comment toward Americans in general! As a New Englander, I’ve not met a single person who would vote for McCain! The Northern U.S. is all for Obama! I realize that my country gets a bad rap due to our current politics, but most of us up here believe the past two elections to be entirely corrupt.
Jillian. Agreed.
In general saying “Americans are like this” is like saying “Europeans are like that”. It’s silly more than anything.
It’s tempting for those of us on the fringes of the empire to generalise the attitudes of America’s government to her citizens, or to imagine that the stereotype of one region applies across the whole nation.
It seems to me, looking from afar, that the stereotype often used is the same one that some US politicians use to describe the ‘real American’. That’s unhelpful.
, but most of us up here believe the past two elections to be entirely corrupt.
Jillian, I happen to agree. What is being done to make sure that the next one will be better?
Perhaps they should have an EFA in the US r0b ?
Perharps the company making the polling machines shouldnt be dontating money to one of the parties? or at least open up thier software for inspection…
Obama speech to AIPAC: “F*** all change!”